The Mission
Readiness Check
Five minutes. Twelve questions. No email required — just an honest look at whether your body can carry your calling.
The advice ministry leaders get is almost always spiritual and emotional — and almost never asks the question a coach would ask first: is the vessel holding up? You are a ministry athlete. Answer honestly. Your score updates as you go.
Strength
capacity is a buffer
Have you done intentional resistance training (weights, bodyweight, rucks) at least twice a week for the past month?
Could you carry a 50-lb bag up three flights of stairs right now without stopping?
Can you get up off the floor without using your hands?
Capacity
ministry is an endurance event
Could you walk five miles today, right now, if someone needed you to?
Do you do something that elevates your heart rate for 20+ minutes at least three times a week?
After a hard week of ministry, do you recover within a day or two — instead of dragging into the next week?
Sleep
the recovery protocol
Do you get seven hours of sleep at least five nights a week?
Do you wake up feeling recovered more days than not?
Is your last hour before bed screen-free at least most nights?
Fuel
the potluck is not a plan
Does protein show up in at least two of your daily meals?
Do you get through most afternoons without needing sugar or caffeine to survive?
Could you skip a meal without becoming a person your family avoids?
Your Readiness Score
(Counting by hand? Tally your “no” answers and find your band below.)
0–2 No’s · Deployable
Your infrastructure is holding. Now build capacity on top of it — you’re ready for programming that takes you from maintaining to mission-ready.
3–6 No’s · Depleted
Where most ministry leaders live: functional, faithful, and running on a body that’s quietly billing interest. The fix isn’t heroic — it’s basic, progressive, three hours a week.
7+ No’s · Red Line
Straight talk: you’re one hard season from becoming a statistic, and your people pay the bill with you. Not condemnation — a starting gun.
Whatever your number — train it
Every score on this page responds to the same thing: basic, progressive training that fits ministry life. The BASE 1520 app has a program for exactly where you are — and the first 7 days are free. Retake this check in 90 days. The number moves. It always moves.
Start Your Free 7-Day Trial
Want the full argument first? Read The Ministry Athlete · or see all training options.